Transport Wolverhampton

1 transport

1.1 road
1.2 rail
1.3 buses

1.3.1 bilston bus station


1.4 metro
1.5 air
1.6 waterways
1.7 cycling

transport
road

wolverhampton city centre forms main focal point road network within northwestern part of west midlands conurbation, , out rural hinterland of staffordshire , shropshire. road network within boundaries of city council area entirely maintained wolverhampton city council, whilst parts of urban area outside city council area have networks maintained staffordshire county council, exception of m54 , a449 on northern fringes of urban area maintained highways agency.

wolverhampton s ring road

major historical improvements city s road network include thomas telford s holyhead road (now part of a41), constructed between 1819 , 1826 improve communications between london , holyhead, , hence ireland. majority of work within city saw improvement contemporary network, though both wellington road in bilston , cutting @ rock near tettenhall newly constructed road, although improvements @ rock constructed local turnpike trust rather telford himself. in 1927, a4123 birmingham-wolverhampton new road constructed both unemployment relief project, , relieve pressure on telford s road through black country. first purpose built inter-city road in united kingdom within 20th century, , said longest stretch of new road in britain since romans. took 3 years complete , cost £600,000. in 1927, first automatic traffic lights in united kingdom installed in princes square in city centre. princes square location of united kingdom s first pedestrian safety barriers, erected in 1934.

in 1960, plans announced build ring road around centre of wolverhampton. end of 1960s, more half of ring road had been completed, stretching snow hill stafford street (via penn road, chapel ash , waterloo road), followed few years later section between snow hill , bilston street. however, final section between bilston street , stafford street (via wednesfield road) not completed until 1986.

the m54 motorway northwest of city

wolverhampton near several motorways, 4 being located within 7 miles (11 km) of city centre. first constructed in area m6, opened in sections between 1966 , 1970, , connects city north-west of england (including manchester , liverpool), scotland birmingham , coventry east, , london via m1. m5, opened in area in 1970 , links city south-west of england, , london via m40, 2 motorways form north-south bypass city.

the section of m6 motorway nearest city 1 of busiest within uk, , relieve congestion on stretch, m6 toll bypasses both wolverhampton , birmingham sections of m6 motorway opened in 2003.

the m54 motorway forms northern bypass city, passing within fringes of urban area, , links city telford, shrewsbury , wales. opened in 1983.

in addition motorways presently constructed, there have been several proposed near city have not been constructed, or have been constructed lower standard. included within these bilston link motorway, first proposed in 1960s , constructed lower standard in 1980s a454/a463 black country route; , western orbital or wolverhampton western bypass, first proposed in 1970s bypass western side of city , wider black country conurbation. proposed highways agency m54 m6 / m6 (toll) link road. route proposed in 2000s relieve overloaded sections of a460 , a449 near city, , replace section of cancelled western orbital. whilst appears in current roads programme, date start of construction has not been set.

rail

wolverhampton s first railway opened in 1837, opening of grand junction railway, first long-distance line in great britain. main station city was, however, not located in city centre, @ wednesfield heath, heath town on east side of city. station considered first class station, though location not ideal , became goods station after passenger services ceased in 1873. station buildings demolished in 1965, main station area nature reserve off powell street, called station fields , part of edge of northbound platform still in situ. track running through station site is, however, still in use.

wolverhampton railway station

the first station in city centre opened shrewsbury , birmingham railway in 1849. station intended temporary, , located on north side of wednesfield road beside broad street basin. station constructed opening of wolverhampton high level delayed. station closed in 1852, , demolished in mid-1970s. in addition temporary station, wolverhampton railway works established in 1849 shrewsbury , birmingham railway , became northern division workshop of great western railway in 1854.

the permanent station on line opened on 24 june 1852, , known wolverhampton general, before being renamed wolverhampton queen street in 1853, , wolverhampton high level in 1855. station joint station between shrewsbury , birmingham railway , london , north western railway, though there problems in relationships between 2 companies, , station became solely lnwr in 1854 before wolverhampton , walsall railway (later part of midland railway) gained access station in 1867. original high level station demolished in 1965 part of electification of west coast mainline, , replaced current buildings on site.

two years after opening of high level station, oxford, worcester , wolverhampton railway (oww) opened city centre station east of high level. called wolverhampton joint, renamed wolverhampton low level in 1856. oww, station served birmingham, wolverhampton , dudley railway , shrewsbury , birmingham railway. first 2 companies supported great western railway, broad gauge track laid station, meaning wolverhampton low level became northerly station on broad gauge network before being converted standard gauge in 1869. despite being featured in second beeching report, development of major railway trunk routes in february 1965 being on line earmarked further investment, services withdrawn progressively low level starting in 1967 after had been transferred administratively western region of british railways london midland region. london services transferred newly-electrified high level station. low level converted parcels concentration depot in 1970, , final passenger services withdrawn in 1972. these services (to , birmingham snow hill) suspended , never legally withdrawn british rail, , technically station still open.

dunstall park railway station in 1958

there number of suburban stations in wolverhampton – including dunstall park , bushbury north of city centre; tettenhall , compton west side of city on gwr s wombourne branch line; wednesfield , heath town on wolverhampton , walsall railway; portobello on walsall wolverhampton line; priestfield , bilston central on birmingham snow hill wolverhampton low level line; , bilston west , daisy bank on oxford-worcester-wolverhampton line. today, of suburban rail stations within city have been closed, although coseley, codsall , bilbrook outside boundaries.

the former high level station, known wolverhampton station today 1 of major stations on west coast main line. has regular rail services london euston, birmingham new street , manchester piccadilly, other major cities in uk. in addition long-distance services, there many local services, including on cambrian line wales, walsall wolverhampton line walsall, wolverhampton shrewsbury line telford , shrewsbury; , rugby-birmingham-stafford line stafford , coventry.

the 1960s buildings of station proposed redevelopment, main station buildings being demolished in project called wolverhampton interchange. due open in 2012, work has been delayed whilst funding sought.

buses

buses in city run commercially number of bus operators, largest provider of services national express west midlands. serving suburbs of city, buses centre of wolverhampton provide direct link city of birmingham , connections walsall, telford, west bromwich, stourbridge, cannock, stafford, sedgley, bilston, bloxwich, bridgnorth , dudley.

the city s bus station operated transport west midlands situated @ piper s row, near railway station, providing interchange between 2 modes of transport. station has had complete rebuild. previous piper s row incarnation opened on 26 october 1986, 6 years after predecessor of 1981. station underwent further upgrade in 1990 saw grade ii listed queen s building incorporated bus station. mild refurbishment took place in 2005/06 new toilets , addition of coach stand.

in july 2009 plans unveiled complete rebuild of bus station, part of wolverhampton s interchange project. bus station closed in april 2010 , subsequently demolished. £22.5 million station opened in july 2011.

bilston bus station

bilston bus station small bus interchange located in bilston town centre, wolverhampton. opened in 1991 new bus station serve town of bilston , became interchange on 31 may 1999 when midland metro service opened on adjacent railway line had been disused since end of 1982.

around 22 bus services operated 11 operators serve station short, walkable distance bilston central tram stop, links town birmingham, west bromwich, wednesbury , wolverhampton.

the station built around large square building features shop.

metro


the new replacement urbos 3 trams

the midland metro, light rail system, connects wolverhampton st. george s grand central tram stop via west bromwich , wednesbury, following former birmingham snow hill-wolverhampton low level line. there plans further lines within city, both city centre loop , line walsall via wednesfield , willenhall, following route of closed wolverhampton , walsall railway.

in 2014/15, centro announced in £40 million deal, replacing entire fleet of 16 t69 trams 21 urbos 3 trams. new urbos 3 trams 9 metres longer; @ 33 metres, ability of carrying 210 passengers, compared 156 t69. additionally upgraded trams, wolverhampton s metro line expanded. part of wolverhampton interchange project; metro line extended wolverhampton st. george s wolverhampton railway station, creating 1 stop @ wolverhampton bus station , subsequently ending @ railway station. scheduled operational 2019.

air

wolverhampton s original airport @ pendeford, opened in 1938 , closed on 31 december 1970. current wolverhampton airport, renamed halfpenny green, small general aviation airfield located 8 miles (12.9 km) southwest of city. expansion of airport has been suggested, has been resisted local residents.

the nearest major airport birmingham international airport, approximately 25 miles (40.2 km) away. airport easy reach train, direct express service it. car, can quicker reach manchester airport instead, due traffic delays on m6 eastbound motorway towards birmingham international.

waterways

there no navigable rivers within city, there 17 mi (27 km) of navigable canals. birmingham canal main line passes through city centre, connecting remaining portion of wednesbury oak loop @ deepfields junction, , wyrley & essington canal @ horseley fields junction, before passing between railway station , bus station in city centre , descending 132 feet (40m) through 21 wolverhampton locks , terminating @ aldersley junction meets staffordshire , worcestershire canal, in turn connects shropshire union canal @ autherley junction.

cycling

most places in borough , of neighbouring villages in south staffordshire within easy reach of city centre pedal cycle , terrain moderately hilly. climbs tend of 2 3 minutes duration. cycling benefits 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) city centre within ring road , number of routes use quieter roads , paths avoid ten roads radiate ring road. wolverhampton on smethwick telford section of sustrans national cycle network route 81. follows birmingham main line canal towpath smethwick broad street basin, wolverhampton route splits in two. choice here between riding 21 locks section of birmingham main line canal aldersley junction or taking cross-city route braid visit city centre, west park or smestow valley leisure ride before returning aldersley junction. ncn81 continues autherley junction along towpath of staffordshire , worcestershire canal , along east bank towpath of shropshire union canal far pendeford mill lane before turning bilbrook in staffordshire. lanes of nearby south staffordshire , east shropshire provide ideal cycle touring conditions.